UFO Mail - No 030 - 2004

Magazine Overview

Title: Skandinavisk UFO Information
Issue: nr. 30
Date: 23. februar 2004
Publisher: Danmarks UFO Forening

This issue of Skandinavisk UFO Information provides a diverse range of content related to UFO phenomena, scientific exploration, and popular mysteries.

SUFOI på P1

The magazine reports on an interview with Kim Møller Hansen, the chairman of SUFOI (Skandinavisk UFO Information), who was interviewed by radio journalist Nalle Kirkvåg on the P1 radio program 'Læst & Påtalt'. The interview was prompted by the release of a special issue on conspiracy theories in the journal 'Jordens Folk' (Danish Ethnographic Society). Hansen was asked to comment on conspiracy theories, the types of people who engage with them, and their motivations. The program was scheduled to air on Wednesday, February 25th at 14:00, with a repeat broadcast on Saturday, February 28th at 9:40.

UFO-Nyt

This section announces the release of the latest issue of 'UFO-Nyt', which includes articles on alien abductions, questioning whether the reported 4 million abductions in America are true. It also features:

• "Orberne kommer!" (The Orbs are Coming!): This article discusses the increasing appearance of mysterious 'orbs' on websites and in international UFO journals. These orbs are creating debate about their nature: are they aliens, spirits, or simply particles in the air? The phenomenon is described as a new type of UFO photography that is mystifying observers.
• "Striebers ukendte verden" (Strieber's Unknown World): This piece revisits Whitley Strieber's book "Communion," published over 15 years prior. Strieber, known for his horror writing, claimed to have encountered aliens who took him against his will. The article explores what has happened since then and what Strieber is doing today.

IFO

This section addresses the growing number of misinterpretations regarding UFOs, presenting a case of an airship-shaped balloon as a potential source of confusion. On February 19th, 2003, a witness in southern Puerto Rico observed an unknown object high in the sky and took a photo. The Center for UFO Studies (CUFOS) investigated the case and identified the object as an airship-shaped balloon, approximately 5,000 meters high, attached to a wire. This balloon was part of a project to patrol the US southern border using radar and has also been used in counter-terrorism efforts. There are 11 such balloons in operation, and one was likely the object photographed in Puerto Rico. The source is cited as International UFO Reporter, Spring 2003.

Kan vi finde marsboerne, hvis de er der? (Can we find Martians, if they exist?)

This article, reprinted from UFO-Nyt nr. 1, 2004, discusses NASA's plans for Mars exploration, including landing robots and sending humans to the planet to determine if it ever harbored life. The current search for life is largely focused on water-dependent organisms. Geo-biologist Kenneth Nealson from the University of Southern California notes that scientific approaches are often 'Earth-centric,' limiting the search to carbon-based, water-dependent life. However, he also points to extreme life forms on Earth as potential indicators for possible life on Mars.

One such organism is *psychrobacter cryopegella*, a bacterium discovered by Corien Bakersman in Nealson's lab, which can survive at temperatures as low as -10 degrees Celsius and reproduce at -10 degrees Celsius, with survival possible down to -20 degrees Celsius. Nealson suggests that during certain periods in Mars' history, when polar axis shifts might have warmed the poles, such organisms could have survived if ice melted into water.

Other researchers agree that polar regions on Mars could be prime locations for life, potentially existing in a dormant state for thousands of years. NASA's Mars Phoenix Lander, scheduled for launch in 2007, is intended to investigate the north polar region.

The article also touches upon the broader challenge of searching for extraterrestrial life that may not be water-dependent, acknowledging that it's difficult to anticipate what such life might be like. Nealson emphasizes that life, wherever it exists, would likely have form, composition, structure, reproduce, evolve, consume energy, produce waste, and exhibit movement.

Scientists in 2001 managed to get single-celled organisms to absorb amino acids, a fundamental building block of life, under laboratory conditions. This discovery hints at the possibility of artificial life and suggests that extraterrestrial life could operate under entirely different rules than currently understood. If Martian life is fundamentally different, current and future missions might miss it.

Charles Berlitz død (Charles Berlitz Dies)

This section reports the death of bestseller author Charles Berlitz in December 2003 at the age of 90. Berlitz was strongly associated with the myth of the mysterious Bermuda Triangle. He moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in the 1980s, where he passed away on December 18th, 2003.

Berlitz came from a family that founded the Berlitz language schools. In UFO circles, he is best known for co-authoring the book "UFO'et der styrtede" (The UFO That Crashed), later retitled "Ufo styrtet ved Roswell" (UFO Crashed at Roswell). This book was influential in cementing the myth of a crashed spaceship near Roswell, New Mexico. The article notes that claims of the book being based on detective work and scientific analysis might be an exaggeration.

Berlitz wrote about various topics, including the myth of Atlantis and Nostradamus' prophecies. However, his predictions, such as for the year 1999, did not come true. Willy Wegner, an author and librarian, is quoted stating that Berlitz saw mysteries that existed only due to a lack of critical source analysis or deliberate omissions.

Berlitz's book "Bermuda trekanten" (The Bermuda Triangle), published in Danish in 1976, sold over 5 million copies in English. His book "Forsvundet" (Disappeared) was published in Danish in 1978. While often called the 'father' of the Bermuda Triangle myth, the article argues this is not entirely accurate.

The origin of the Bermuda Triangle myth is traced back to articles by E. V. Jones (Associated Press, September 16, 1950) and George X. Sand (Fate Magazine, October 1952), who mentioned a triangle encompassing Florida, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico and cited disappearances of ships and aircraft as examples. Dale Milton Titler used the term "The Deadly Triangle" in his 1962 book "Wings of Mystery." Vincent H. Gaddis further popularized the concept in the February 1964 issue of Argosy magazine.

Lawrence David Kusche, an American research librarian, is presented as a key figure in debunking the myth. In his book "The Bermuda Triangle Mystery - Solved" (1975), Kusche meticulously reviewed the available evidence and proposed plausible explanations for the disappearances, often attributing them to pilot disorientation, running out of fuel, and other non-mysterious causes. The article highlights that Kusche's critical examination of the source material revealed that many claims of mysterious disappearances did not hold up under scrutiny.

One of the most cited incidents related to the Bermuda Triangle is the disappearance of five US Navy Avenger torpedo bombers on December 5th, 1945, after taking off from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Despite extensive searches, the planes were never found.

The article criticizes Berlitz's research methods, citing an example where Berlitz misrepresented a statement by Professor Wayne Meshijian regarding a weather satellite's functionality over the Bermuda Triangle. Meshijian reportedly stated that the satellite was transmitting data to a ground station and needed to rewind its tape, causing it to appear 'dead' temporarily. Berlitz allegedly twisted this explanation to suggest a mysterious force affecting the satellite.

Despite the critical debunking of the Bermuda Triangle myth by researchers like Kusche, and the questionable methodologies of authors like Berlitz, the myths themselves continue to persist.

Send ufo-mail til familie, venner og bekendte!

This is a call to action, encouraging readers to forward the 'ufo-mail' to their contacts to share UFO information, observations, photographs, celestial phenomena, and offers on UFO materials freely and without obligation.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently covers UFO sightings, investigations, and related phenomena, often presenting a critical or analytical perspective. There is a clear interest in separating factual reporting from sensationalism, as seen in the debunking of the Bermuda Triangle myth and the scientific exploration of life on Mars. The publication also engages with the broader cultural impact of UFO beliefs and conspiracy theories, as indicated by the interview with SUFOI's chairman. The editorial stance appears to be one of informed inquiry, encouraging readers to critically evaluate information while remaining open to unexplained phenomena.